- By Dan Veaner
- News
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"Lock boxes are high impact, very strong permanent construction device that is attached to a building or built into a building that allows access to keys, material data sheets and other information needed in the event of a fire or other emergency," explained Town Attorney Guy Krogh. "If there's a fire in a commercial building or there's no one home, it gives the Fire Department immediate access to the building and knowledge of where water is, where drains are, where hazardous chemicals are, what the floor plans look like, is there an elevator where someone might be trapped? Are there residential units in the building?"
Krogh says that lock box laws are common, including in local municipalities like the City and Town of Ithaca. "Let's say there is a burglary in progress," he said. "It's much easier to get into the building quietly than it is to kick the door in and give the alleged criminals an opportunity to make an escape."
Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell said, "One of the main reasons for lock boxes is a lot of residential places like homes on East Lake are higher value homes that are getting alarm systems. They get a break on their insurance for having their alarm system report to the Fire Department, but when we get there we can't get in." Purcell says they are loath to breaking down a six or seven hundred dollar door, but finding a neighbor with a key or someone who is 40 minutes away takes valuable time that could mean the loss of the building.
The master key for all the lock boxes in town are secured on fire department vehicles. It is released when the 911 center sends a special code. "There is a security issue," says Krogh. "It seems like it is more theoretical in all the towns I've looked at. I never saw a case or a reported incident where somebody had used a lock box to perpetrate a crime." He went on to say that the boxes use very high security keys. "If you had a master criminal that could pick the types of locks and keys that they use on this... if you were that good a lock picker you wouldn't be picking the lock box. You'd just go right up and pick the front door."
Purcell added that you can purchase a higher end lock box that notifies the 911 center whenever it is opened. "If all of a sudden a lock box is open (where there has not been a 911 call) probably the Sheriff would be here in a few minutes."
The Village of Lansing, also within the Lansing Fire District, does not have a lock box law. Purcell said he would like uniform laws with the Fire District. "I would like it if your board would take it to their board as well to see if we can get uniform laws so we don't have two sets of rules," he said. Different towns use different keys. "If the Cayuga Heights Fire Department their key won't open anything here, and vice versa," Purcell added.
Deputy Supervisor Bud Shattuck said, "We should make (business and property owners) understand that there's a real enhancement to their systems to be able to have someone get in without doing damage."
The Board voted the proposal into law unanimously. As of now new buildings are required to install lock boxes and existing ones will have up to a year to comply.
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